Jeremiah 51 4

Jeremiah 51:4 kjv

Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets.

Jeremiah 51:4 nkjv

Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, And those thrust through in her streets.

Jeremiah 51:4 niv

They will fall down slain in Babylon, fatally wounded in her streets.

Jeremiah 51:4 esv

They shall fall down slain in the land of the Chaldeans, and wounded in her streets.

Jeremiah 51:4 nlt

They will fall dead in the land of the Babylonians,
slashed to death in her streets.

Jeremiah 51 verses

Jeremiah 51 4 meaning

Jeremiah 51:4 pronounces a dire prophecy against Babylon (referred to as the land of the Chaldeans), detailing the vast and public nature of the impending judgment. It signifies that countless inhabitants of Babylon, whether warriors in battle or civilians within the city, will suffer violent deaths. The phrase "the slain shall fall" points to a widespread loss of life, while "those thrust through in her streets" specifically emphasizes the brutality and visibility of these deaths, occurring even in the public spaces of the city. This verse foretells a comprehensive and inescapable divine retribution.

Jeremiah 51 4 Context

Jeremiah chapter 51 is a continuation of the prophecy against Babylon, begun in chapter 50, detailing its complete destruction at the hands of the Lord. The prophecy portrays Babylon as God's "shattering weapon" (Jer 51:20) used against nations, but also highlights Babylon's excessive cruelty and pride, especially towards Judah and the Lord's temple. God is therefore raising up a powerful foe (often understood as the Medes and Persians under Cyrus) to execute His judgment. Verse 4 specifically sets the stage for the physical outcome of this divine judgment, emphasizing the human cost within the Babylonian heartland. Historically, Babylon had brutally suppressed and exiled Judah, destroying Jerusalem and its Temple in 586 BC, making this prophecy a powerful message of divine justice and restoration for Judah.

Jeremiah 51 4 Word analysis

• הַֽלְלִים (ha·lā·lîm): "The slain" or "The pierced"
  • This is derived from the root חלל (ḥālal), meaning to pierce, wound, defile, or profane. In this context, it refers specifically to those violently killed, often in battle or execution. It implies a sense of defilement or desecration, as life is violently cut short. The Septuagint translates it as "τετραυματισμένοι" (tetraumatismenoi), "the wounded," confirming violent injury leading to death.
• יִפְּלוּ (yippe·lū): "shall fall"
  • From נָפַל (nāphal), meaning "to fall, fall down, lie dead." It signifies not merely a trip or collapse, but the definitive act of perishing or succumbing to violence, especially on a battlefield. It suggests sudden, inevitable, and widespread death. The active and collective nature indicates an overwhelming force bringing about this demise.
• בְּאֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים (bə·’e·reṣ kaś·dîm): "in the land of the Chaldeans"
  • אֶרֶץ (eretz): "Land" or "country." This clarifies the geographical target of the prophecy—Babylonian territory, not just its capital city.
  • כַּשְׂדִּים (Kaśdîm): "Chaldeans." This term is often used interchangeably with Babylonians in Jeremiah, referring to the dominant people group and rulers of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. The mention of "the land of the Chaldeans" signifies that the entire region under Babylonian control will experience this judgment, not just isolated pockets.
• וּמְדֻקָּרִים (ū·mə·ḏuq·qā·rîm): "and those thrust through" or "pierced"
  • This word comes from the verb דָקַר (dāqar), meaning "to pierce, thrust through, stab." It specifically denotes death by stabbing or impalement, highlighting a particularly violent and bloody end. Its pairing with "the slain" (חַלְלִים) creates a powerful parallelism, emphasizing different aspects of violent death: חלל often implies those killed in general warfare, while דָקַר stresses being deliberately stabbed or speared.
• בְּחוּצֹתֶיהָ (bə·ḥū·ṣō·ṯey·hā): "in her streets"
  • חוּצוֹת (ḥūṣōt): "Streets, outside, thoroughfares, open spaces." This points to the public nature and visibility of the judgment. The deaths will not be confined to battlefields or private dwellings but will be visible to all, littering the public ways of the city and country. It underscores the utter disruption of normal life and the pervasive horror of the event. It can also imply the reach of the violence into the civilian population.
  • -ֶיהָ (-ehā): The suffix meaning "her," referring back to the "land of the Chaldeans."

• "The slain shall fall... and those thrust through" (הַלְלִים יִפְּלוּ... וּמְדֻקָּרִים)
  • This constitutes a poetic parallelism common in Hebrew scripture, using two distinct but related terms to describe violent death. "Slain" (חַלְלִים) often denotes victims of war in general, while "thrust through" (מְדֻקָּרִים) specifies death by piercing weapons like swords or spears. Together, they intensify the image of overwhelming carnage and confirm that both a large general slaughter and more specific, brutal forms of death will occur. This dual description emphasizes the thoroughness of the destruction.
• "in the land of the Chaldeans... in her streets" (בְּאֶרֶץ כַּשְׂדִּים... בְּחוּצֹתֶיהָ)
  • This phrase establishes both the broad geographical scope (the entire country/land) and the specific, public locations (the streets/thoroughfares) where the destruction will manifest. The judgment will pervade the entire nation and be tragically visible in its urban centers. It signals that no place, public or private, will be safe from this calamity. This contrast also hints at the involvement of both armies (dying in the "land") and civilians (dying in "streets").

Jeremiah 51 4 Bonus section

The imagery in Jeremiah 51:4 carries a polemic against the supposed invincibility and divine favor of Babylon, which believed its gods (like Marduk) guaranteed its dominance. By prophesying such extensive death, even in the "streets," the prophet directly confronts this notion of a secure, blessed empire. The violence is public, stripping away any dignity or protection Babylon might have assumed. Furthermore, the description "thrust through" could carry an echo of military conquest where the victorious army might symbolically or literally 'pierce' the defeated, signifying complete submission and downfall, a fate Babylon inflicted upon many nations before its own collapse.

Jeremiah 51 4 Commentary

Jeremiah 51:4 succinctly encapsulates the horrifying outcome of God's declared judgment against Babylon. It portrays a scene of widespread and inescapable slaughter, affecting the entire Chaldean territory and reaching directly into the heart of its urban centers. The verse uses potent parallelism to describe death, ranging from a general falling of the slain to the specific, violent piercing of individuals in public view. This devastation is not a random act but a precise, divine retribution for Babylon's atrocities and pride against God's people. The prophecy highlights that the empire that brought terror and destruction to others will itself be subject to a similar, definitive collapse, leaving its inhabitants as casualties across its land and streets.